Nitin Gadkari advocates deployment of board gauge metro at curtain raiser of India Manufacturing Show 2020
“In its last edition – IMS 2017, business deals worth Rs. 200 crore were signed while 10,000 visitors, 450 delegates and 203 exhibitors took part in the mega show. IMS 2020, which will be a much bigger show, “said IMS Foundation Chairman HVS Krishna.
New Delhi: Road Transport & Highways and MSME Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari on Thursday advocated the deployment of board gauge metro as an affordable, efficient and time-saving option for inter-city travel which will reduce stress on large cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
Speaking at the curtain raiser event of the India Manufacturing Show (IMS) 2020 in the national capital, Mr. Gadkari said: “We are deploying broad gauge metro in my constituency Nagpur. It will connect Nagpur with Wardha, Bhandara Road, Ramtek and Narkhed. Running metro on the broad gauge should be considered as it makes travel between cities and its satellite towns affordable. For instance, people can stay in Meerut or Panipat and easily travel to Delhi for work every day. So, it’s a win-win for the city as well as the commuter.”
Mr. Gadkari said current metro rail construction costs around Rs 320 crore per km, while the broad gauge metro costs around Rs 3 crore. Besides, almost three times more passengers can move in the same space if broad gauge network is utilized. Also, the speed of metro trains will be much faster than express trains.
Stressing on the need to develop indigenous technologies focused on urban infrastructure, Mr. Gadkari said it will help generate jobs besides ensuring better organizational efficiencies. “Local talent and local knowledge needs to be nurtured under the umbrella of global best practices and this will in turn help in fine-tuning these technologies not just for India, but for the whole world, especially for countries which are dealing with large populations and increasing stress on major cities where the major problems are of space to live and jobs. Developing domestic eco-system can take care of this problem,” he explained.
Mr Gadkari also said he has cleared for the consideration of the Union Cabinet the policy for the scrapping of old cars, buses, and two-wheelers. Finance Ministry has already cleared the proposal and the government will very soon clear it. Scrapping policy for old vehicles will help reduce vehicular congestion in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, which have a large number of vehicles that are older than 10-15 years.
Aiming to provide an impetus to economic activity in the country as well as to revive the rural economy, Mr Gadkari said the government will strengthen the micro, small and medium (MSME) industry sector which will not only create 5 crore jobs but also take MSME sector contribution in GDP to 50% from current level of around 29 percent.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of India becoming a $5-trillion economy and my ministry will also work on creating five crore more jobs in the next five years to achieve this objective,” Mr. Gadkari said.
Taking about the IMS 2020 which will be held in Bangalore in October next year, Mr. Gadkari said the mega trade and industry show is a very good opportunity for showcasing the services and opportunities in India’s villages. “I want to urge you to dedicate a portion at your exhibition devoted to the country’s village economy and also show what it can achieve,” he added.
Union Cabinet Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines Prahlad Joshi and Union Minister of State for Railways Surest Angadi were also present at the IMS 2020 current raiser ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Joshi said the government was committed to hand-holding the business community in making a better India. “Even Prime Minister Narendra Modiji has said on 15th August to support businesses, help them generate revenues and utilize this to offer more as well as better services to the people,” he added.
Mr. Angadi said the railways has embarked on a massive electrification drive, which is also a very big opportunity for domestic businesses to grow. This will ensure that development is sustainable and at the same time, its benefits are percolating to every section of society.
The Fifth edition of India Manufacturing Show – IMS 2020 – is scheduled to be held from October 12 to 14, 2020 in Bangalore. The show will comprise various development programs, buyer-seller meet, CEO Leadership Conclave, business collaborations, a roundtable discussion with CEOs and many more. IMS 2020 is being organized by Laghu Udyog Bharati and IMS Foundation.
“The three-day India Manufacturing show is first of itS kind show targeting manufacturing, engineering, and related sectors. With its theme – Make in India, Made for the World – we aim to bring new technologies and innovations in manufacturing, funding and finance for the manufacturing sector, policies and regulations to give a fillip to the Indian manufacturing sector and promoting green manufacturing,” said Baldev Prajapathi, President, Laghu Udyog Bharati.
“In its last edition – IMS 2017, business deals worth Rs. 200 crore were signed while 10,000 visitors, 450 delegates and 203 exhibitors took part in the mega show. IMS 2020, which will be a much bigger show, will work towards bringing into fruition Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative devised to transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub. It will aid in creating jobs to take advantage of India’s demographic dividend. It will aim to propel the Indian economy towards the 5 trillion USD mark,” said IMS Foundation Chairman HVS Krishna.
